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Rift (Part 4)

Prince Rilen Estovar and I traveled for two more hours by my count before we came to the edge of the wood. My legs where going numb from the constant march over rough terrain. I was just thankful much of these woods grew on level ground.

Rilen stopped and crouched behind another of the large leafed plants when he saw the end of the woods. I followed his example, getting behind him. I was careful not to step on his tail, which flicked this way and that in nervous strokes. Through the plant and the trees beyond, I could make out what looked like fields of tall golden stalks. The musty smell from their tasseled tops blew into the trees on a gentle breeze. A single blob of brown and grey poked over them in the distance that could easily be a building of some kind. A single path cut through the stalks like someone had walked though before. I imagined this was where Rilen had entered the wood.

"So... What's your plan?" I whispered to him, leaning in a bit closer. He held up a single paw.

"Sh... I'm listening..." His ears did indeed move not unlike radar dishes. I almost smiled to myself at the comparison of him to something so technological. He was far removed from that sort of thing, I thought to myself. I was the tainted one who had come from a complex world of corruption and oppression. He was so pure, and... earthy. His scent found its way into my nostrils. His fur and the unwashed dirt and sweat of travel combined to form something not entirely unpleasant. It was new to me. I had rarely seen a real animal before.

I wanted to move in closer to him, but hesitated. It would be wrong, somehow uncouth. I leaned back away from him as his head turned to me.

"I don't think anyone is around right now, but we will have to keep our ears... heads down. Keep right next to me, and if I move, you move, got it? We can't have Foxes knowing anything about you just yet." He said in a hushed tone. His yellow eyes never wavered from my own when he spoke. I found it hard to meet them, so instead, I focused on his mouth. The way he formed words with his muzzle was a treat to witness. I gave him a nod.

He turned his attention back to the field. He again raised a paw, then let it fall. It looked like a signal. As I pondered this, he broke from the plant and sped for the opening in the field, his tail and cloak streaking behind him. I scrambled up and followed. My leather boots, thankfully light, worked hard to keep up.

We flew through the trees, into the open, and ducked into the fields of stalks. He stopped once a little ways in, crouched low. His muzzle turned to me once more, his paw waving at me to crouch lower. I did so and caught up to him. Once inside this tunnel of plant life, I saw that it resembled what I remembered wheat looked like. The education system made sure we knew where our food was supposed to come from. These plants where a little taller and thicker around the base than the pictures I had seen.

Rilen motioned me closer and I was happy to obey. He removed his cloak and threw it over me.

"See if this fits you. It might be a little small. I just want you hooded so if we end up getting seen, at least it will take people a few seconds to realize you're not a fox." I fiddled with the garment's clasp in my gloved fingers, trying to fasten it.

"Oh, good idea..." I hooked the little piece of metal around its hole and closed the little mechanism. My hands reached up and pulled the hood over my blue hair. Rilen smiled. "What?" I asked.

"It is a bit small, but it will work..." His eyes held a humorous light. "It doesn't match your outfit at all."

His paws moved forward and straightened the folds of the cloak, then hastily withdrew. With this he moved off down the tunnel without a word, maintaining his low crouch. I followed close behind, still in wonder of it all.

The tunnel got a little darker as we progressed. The light of the sun penetrated most areas, but in some, there was only a dappling. Rilen moved with quiet steps. His boots chose where they landed carefully. I kept up his pace easily by this point, and was glad to be only a few feet behind him. Without his cloak I could see his back without obstruction. His shirt was tucked into his trousers, which buttoned around his tail. It was as if the waist of his pants acted as a belt, buttoning over the top of the tail. This left a slit for the tail to poke out without having to be restricted. As we walked, I thought of what it would be like to have to button one's tail into one's trousers every morning.

The other side of the field approached, and Rilen slowed his pace. Light spilled through an opening ahead to reveal open land. A patch of rock and dirt wound through the grass that looked like some kind of road. It was curious to imagine a road without asphalt or steel.

Rilen held his paw up once more and stopped both of us.

"Hold..." His ears swiveled in place and his eyes grew distant. I wanted to ask what it was, but knew better. He extended both paws outward and flexed his claws like he was feeling something in the air. "There are foxes on the other side. I'll go first and see what we're dealing with... To be honest, I'm not really supposed to be out here either." With this he made his way to the opening. His gaze shifted to the right and was fixed on something for several seconds. The expression on his face changed from a passive caution to one of immediate concern. He backed away from the opening a little and beckoned me closer. Once we were in whispering distance, he spoke again.

"I think we may be dealing with bandits, or possibly House Khanda soldiers... I pray its bandits." I blinked in surprise.

"Really? Er... Are we in any danger?" Rilen shook his head.

"No, but I am at least going to put myself in danger momentarily. This is my kingdom... My father's kingdom and they have no right to steal the king's crops and terrorize the king's people. The penalty is... or should be death."

"Are they stealing and terrorizing out there?" I asked

"Mhmm." I could not argue with him due to my limited knowledge.

"Alright... Should I help you? I'm not bad in combat."

"No. You need to stay hidden. It's too risky for even these brigands to see you... Don't worry." He unslung the bow off his shoulders. "I'll take two at least before they can get close." I was about to protest, but he stood slowly and drew an arrow, walking out into the open.

I edged to get a better view as he pulled the arrow back, aiming somewhere off to the right. His toned arms didn't waver under the strain of the powerful bow. I couldn't help but feel helpless in the situation. I didn't know if what he was doing was morally right. I had killed a man before, but I knew my enemy and knew his life was worth less than mine. I didn't know if murder was right here. Just as he released the arrow, I got a view of the scene, peaking my head around the stalks of wheat.

A farmhouse built of wood and stone stood at the end of a dirt road. Several carts lay around the yard in varying states of burden. The contents were barrels and crates bound by rope. A family of foxes (two adults, male and female, and three children) was held at the point of crossbows and halberds by a small group of armored foxes. The scarred ears of the so called brigands stuck out at odd angles under their helms. One in the front was talking to the civilians in harsh tones, but at this distance, I couldn't make out any of his words.

Rilen's arrow flew straight and struck one of the crossbowmen in the back on the neck. I could hear his armor take the blow from here. The fox let out a loud yip and fell to his knees, clawing at the arrow in his spine. Rilen let out a small, animalistic cackle of joy and drew another arrow.

"It's me you want, brigands! You are in the presence of Prince Estovar!" The leader of the brigands wore heavier armor than the rest, but seemed to carry no weapon. He strode away from the huddled family he had been yelling at and stopped in front of his fallen subordinate.

"A good shot, your grace! You know, I had always dreamt of one day slaying your father. This is a better opportunity than I could ever have hoped for." He tore out the arrow in his comrade's body, causing the wounded fox to jerk in pain, then fall on his face. By the look on Rilen's face, he knew something about the man.

"You foxes ARE Khandar!? What is your house doing in our territory? You know, of course, this doesn't help reparations between our houses, yes? My father will hear of this." As he spoke he pulled back another arrow. The House Khanda fox took long, confident steps forward. A grin passed over his muzzle.

"You know not to whom you speak, do you? I am Lieutenant Jeal of the Khandar armored magic division." Rilen didn't flinch.

"I've never heard of you, and I'll be glad to forget about you once the image of your bloody corpse leaves my mind!" He let lose his arrow, but at the moment of its departure from the bow, a shimmer in the thin air in front of him knocked it off to the side, its momentum lost. I could hardly believe my eyes as I looked back at the Lieutenant. His paws were held up in a pose like he had just finished batting something away.

"Your archery skills are excellent, Prince, but how well did you do in the magic lessons your father forced you to take?" Rilen's face fell. "Not well, I take it? There is a rumor that you actually have very little power. Would you like to prove me wrong?" He signaled to his remaining crossbowman to fire. The mechanism fired with a snap and the bolt flew at Rilen with a true aim. Rilen dropped his bow, and made a similar motion with his paws. The bolt was knocked away and sent spinning into the grass before it came within two yards of him.

"Stop flaunting yourself!" Rilen barked. "If you are my superior, have at me!" Jeal laughed.

"Don't interfere, men... Unless I happen to appear like I'm losing. Then, of course, take him down quickly." The Fox rolled his shoulders like he was limbering up for a fistfight. Rilen and his opponent both adopted stances that where reminiscent of martial arts I had seen practiced. I suddenly became aware that Rilen still had my gun.

On an unspoken queue the two of them began signing in the air, making rapid motions with their claws and paws. The movements flowed down their entire bodies like they were dancing, or preforming a martial arts exhibition. They were distinctly different dances however. Rilen's seemed more forced, like he was merely repeating a rehearsed series of motions. Jeal on the other hand flowed with it like he could adapt the dance to his own interpretation.

Jeal suddenly stopped. Rilen was about to make another movement but cut it short when he saw this, his eyes wide.

"What?" Rilen whispered. "Such a powerful spell... You're finished already?" Jeal smiled and made an abrupt thrust forward with both his paws with a grunt. Jets of liquid fire cascaded in intricate patterns in a cone in front of Jeal. The cone condensed into a swirling wave that shot out towards Rilen. I could feel the heat from it from here. It was hard to breathe because the oxygen was being sucked out of the air to feed the flames. I doubted that any of them actually knew that.

In response, Rilen circled his paws, then made an upward sweep that threw up a violet barrier. It looked like transparent crystal in a roughly shaped semi-sphere. The flames hit the barrier hard and it's form buckled under the heat and pressure. Rilen cringed behind it, holding his paws out still like he was bracing the barrier with them.

I didn't know what to do. All I had was my Tech-Blade, Flashbangs, and Bloodsmog... I couldn't get close enough to use any of them, although the heat was lessened behind Rilen's barrier.

Jeal started forward, flames still springing from his paws in wide jets. He called out over the roar of burning oxygen.

"On the defensive already, prince?! That shield won't hold much longer! I hardly even need to counter it! Of course I could if I had to, but I think I'll toy with you a while! I wouldn't want to burn you to a crisp and not have a body to play with!"

Rilen's face was set in a mask of concentration and pain. I could see it was all he could do to hold the barrier up. With a deep breath of hot air, I broke my cover and sprinted for Rilen's side. As I went I could feel the flame's heat. It burned me without even touching me. To stay outside the barrier would mean almost instant death on a direct hit. I pressed on however, and ducked behind his barrier.

"E-Eswin? Get out... Stay to the woods and flee." Rilen spoke in-between what looked like dry heaves. His fur was soaked with sweat and his entire body shook from the effort. I didn't say anything. I simply apoached him and took my gun out of the front of the belt.

"I think I can get him, Rilen. Just hold the barrier a bit more." I cocked the gun back and took a few steps away to crouch and aim into the flames.

"I... Don't want you to use it... It's... a sin..." Rilen explained. I nodded, all too aware.

"I know." The flames died and Jeal stood right in front of the barrier, a broad smile on his face. It faded slightly when he saw me.

"Who might that be, Prince? It doesn't matter, but I hope he means something to you, because I think I might kill him first... Wait..." He touched the barrier and it shattered like glass, removing my cover.

"Is that...?!" Jeal gasped, his face twisting in shock. I put my head down and fired two shots at his chest. The armor he wore was useless, and with loud metallic pings' two fist sized holes, spurting blood, where punched into the metalwork. Jeal collapsed to his knees, his eyes dinner plates, and his paws crackling with electricity. He tried to speak but he was cut short by a convulsion and fell on his face.

I looked down at his body. It was pitiful. I was more pitiful for using the gun. It was too easy. The irony was made bigger because these foxes could perform magical feats with their own souls, and it could still be cut short by a few pulls of a trigger. Rilen was right, it was a sin.

The others in Jeal's company slowly backed away around the farmhouse.

"Did anyone see what spell he used?" One said.

"What was it?" Another moaned in a frightened tone. Rilen picked up his bow again and drew an arrow.

"Flee before the same happens to you! I hope this teaches you never to cross into Estovar territory!" He shot the arrow at one halberdier who was slow to retreat. The fox dodged backwards and took off running. The others followed soon after. The family of farmers that had been held outside hurriedly went back in their house.

Rilen turned back to me with an outstretched paw.

"Give me the wand." I handed it over without hesitation. I wasn't sure I wanted it anymore.

"Gladly... I just wanted to save you. You wouldn't have escaped him otherwise, right?" Rilen replaced the gun in the front of his belt and nodded silently with troubled eyes.

"Let's be away from here. We will take the road south... But first..." He knelt by Jeal's body and turned him over on his back. His face was still set in a snarl of pain. Rilen began unstrapping his armor.

"What are you doing? Does he have something you want?" I asked, almost afraid to speak.

"You could say that." He answered, removing the damaged breastplate and discarding it. After tearing his undershirt off his chest, Rilen picked up a gold and ruby amulet. It appeared to be some kind of seal, or symbol. This Rilen pocketed, and he hastily got up.

"You're not taking anything else?" He shook his head and started down the road.

"No. There is no reason to. All of his items bear the mark of his house. They are useless in my country." I couldn't help to think of how much his armor would be worth to relic-collectors back home. That was literally another world away now. I pushed the thought out of my head and followed Rilen. I found myself wondering if I had caused him to rethink his trust in me. I had already killed a fox and I hadn't been in this world for more than a day. Perhaps I was doomed to be the furless destroyer they spoke of. Was it just me, or all humans who had to ruin everything they touched?